Everything Else

I just bought a Steff 2038 3-phase 230V "power feeder", and was wondering who else here plays the 3-phase game... I know there are a couple, since that's one of the power options for the Origin 3k series...

Chris

Chris - if you haven't already looked, OWWM is a decent reference site. If you don't have 3-phase power, they've got some info for converting three-phase tools for single-phase use here: http://wiki.owwm.com/#ED_-_Three_Phase_Information_44

If phase conversion is what you're after, the speed and direction control offer by VFD would probably work well with a power feeder, and is pretty affordable if the horsepower rating isn't too high.
http://dealerselectric.com/mfg-subcat-i ... 165&mID=-1
VFD units usually available on eBay too....


Lots of furniture manufacturing business around here. The economy has been especially tough on the smaller ones, so quite a bit of industrial-type/3-phase stuff has been appearing in auctions or with used tool dealers.

It's super simple and cheap to build a rotary three-phase converter. You do get one high leg but most motors don't seem to care. Not sure how an Origin would feel about that, tho.

Hmm. That would be interesting to look into.
I'm sure a few of us might like their iron running off converted three phase.

Careful, pent, or that puff of magic blue smoke might be you!

I'm all sorts of set, actually. There's a local outfit that manufactures phase converters, so I drove out there on Saturday and picked up a 1/4HP-1HP static converter (grey box on the floor behind and to the right of the feeder) for about 50 bucks. (I don't mind the loss of 1/3HP because I don't really need the full 1HP of power; I just wanted a good quality, heavy-duty power feeder, and found that Steff on Craigslist for $400.)

As much as anything else, I was wondering who all uses 3-phase, and as an aside curiosity, if converters are in use, are they static or rotary.

Chris

I have 3-phase, need it for the O3800 and one of my (very) big HP PSUs (HP 6681A)...

What kind of 3-phase do they use? 230? 208? 440? And you have a native 3-phase feed from your electrical utility, right?

Chris

In Europe, 3-phase is 380V.

380v 50hz, equivalent to 460v 60hz

Personally, I wish that George Westinghouse had won and we were powering everything with compressed air ...

Is there only one flavor of 3-phase in Europe? There are at least three different voltages of 3-phase power in the US...

Apparently I'm not up on my history lessons... How is compressed air a power source? Mechanical energy is easily transferred, but I'm not sure about long distances, and how does mechanical energy help a consumer?

Chris

Whenever you rub something against something else, you can build up a charge. Air is not 'empty', there's a lot of matter in it.

Static discharge is a slow killer. The damage it does may result in failure later on, and you may not realize what caused it.